1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to information security and, in particular, to techniques to identify when mobile device users take actions that may violate a use policy.
2. Background of the Related Art
The recent past has seen an enormous growth in the usage and capabilities of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and the like. Such devices comprise fast processors, large amounts of memory, gesture-based multi-touch screens, and integrated multi-media and GPS hardware chips. Many of these devices use open mobile operating systems, such as Android. The ubiquity, performance and low cost of mobile devices have opened the door for creation of a large variety of mobile applications.
A “term of use” policy document dictates what a user can and cannot do from his or her mobile device. For example, when a user connects to a WiFi hotspot, the user's Internet conduct may then be governed, at least theoretically, by the hotspot's (or the provider's) terms of use. Terms of use also may apply to a specific location, such as a work environment. For example, while on the grounds of a particular Company, the Company's terms of use may restrict the user from taking pictures, especially if such pictures may be uploaded or posted automatically to the user's cloud-based storage, social network, or the like.
Currently, terms of use are not enforced in the physical sense or through any machine-implemented means; rather, it is the responsibility of each user to honor (if at all) the terms. While theoretically automation can facilitate enforcement of a “terms of use” policy, it is difficult to apply automation processes because terms of use typically exist in an unstructured format; the unstructured nature of a terms of use policy makes it very difficult to automate any process to monitor and/or restrict user actions to comply with such terms.